Insert Bearings

I spent most of the fall of 2008 fitting the connecting rod bearings to the crankshaft. I coud not find new bearings from the major manufacturers, Clevite and Federal Mogul. I would like to have a new set of bearings (number 12 187). The ID is 3.5 inches and they are about 3 and 1/4 inches wide. I bought brass shim stock, 7 thousands of an inch thick and cut 30 shims. To make the bolt holes in the shim without tearing them up, I clamped the shim in between 2 halves of the connecting rod and drilled though the bolt holes in the rod.. The design of the bearings is different from the babbited rods that I have worked with. To fit these bearings correctly the insert shells would be fit to a 3.5 inch mock up journal. Then the rod cap shimmed to fit the journal. I collected all the inserts that I could find from the 2 engines. Four of five sets of shells were destoyed from overheating and when the Whitcomb engine siezed. I matched up the remaining bearing shells by striations in the inside and outside of the shells. After pushing the pistons out of the blocks I numbered the rods and pistons trying to keep the pistons in the same holes that they came out of. I put the bearings in the rods and number the shells to match the rods.

Pictures from Dave at Shasta Cascade R. P. S.

All the copper oil lines were removed from the LeRoi sometime in the distant past. There were at least 6 fittings on the crankcase and I didnt know what they attached to. I knew there were a few Whitcombs in museums around the country but I didnt know which ones still had the LeRoi RX1S 6 cylinder engine in them. I put some pictures of our engine on the Yahoo group 'Rail critters and asked for information about the engine. Dave Jungkeit answered right away and voluteered to take pictures of the engine at the Shasta Cascade Rail Preservation Society in California. Dave sent pictures which were a great help to me. I uploaded them to my Picasa album 'Shasta Cascade'. To get there click on the picture in the slide show near the top of this page. Thanks Dave.

Crankshaft Journals

When we removed the front block and 2 stuck pistons, I looked inside the crankcase and saw a shiny surface. I thought 'Oh this is good' but it turns out that what I saw was the back side of the insert bearing. It was siezed and stuck to the crankshaft. The bearing side was black and motled. I worried about the main bearings but after all the stuck cylinders were removed the crankshaft turned. I used a 4.5 inch angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean up the hardened journal surfaces. Some journals were discolored but they cleaned up and look like they will work. Where the connecting rod bolted to the journal there are 2 small lines etched in each journal. I believe from acid in the oil. I felt it with my fingers and it felt rough. I used a ball grinding stone on a cordless drill and polished the rough spots. My friend Bob told me that he had sucessfully rebuilt John Deere tractors with etch lines in the journals.

New Brake parts

I got both brake cylinder pistons freed up. One of the return springs was broken into many pieces. I called Westinghouse Air Brake. Sadly it took 3 or 4 calls and return calls to find someone at WABTEC to research our brake piston cup and spring. Finally I got to Michelle in Chicago who found the part numbers for our 8 inch cylinder. The bad news was that there was a minimum order of 12 pieces at 60 dollars a piece. I called Bill at Pittsburgh Air brake. He pretty much fixed us up with 2 new piston cups and a spring. I made 4 each, eleven inch flange gaskets from a 12 x 24 sheets of neoprene from McMaster Carr company.

Brake cylinders

Hank went up to the museum with me and we took the brake cylinders apart. I did not know how they worked or if they would come apart, but there were unions on the air line pipe fittings and a row of bolts at each end so we took them apart. Both brke piston rods were rusted and stuck. A lot of water and rust came out of the cylinders. One side we had to put a wood 4x4 on the piston and hammer it out. We were able to get the ends off the cylinder and the pistons and push rods out from around the brake rigging. The cylinders were cleaned up with 4.5 angle grinder with a wire wheel and greased. The return springs springs inside the cylinders were broken. The options are to get new springs and rubber parts or whole new generic replacement cylinders. The cost of the new cylinders ranged from 800 to 1000 dollars. We plan to fill some of the pits in the cylinders with epoxy and get new cups and springs. The cups are 85 dollars and the springs 35 dollars. All will be packed in air brake grease.

Best blocks and pistons

Many of my friends have farm workshops and work on trucks, tractors or 7.5 in trains as a hobby. One of my friends Hank said he would like to see the museum and agreed to help fix up the whitcomb. We took all the remaining pistons, blocks, and heads up to the frieght house. We worked to loosen the bolts on the hood and radiator that have to come off next spring. Many of them broke off and were replaced with new ones. We honed the cylinders on the three best blocks. One block needed new studs. We installed them. The best blocks and pistons and rods are being cleaned, polished and fitted. The next day we wire brushed and painted 6 engine hand hole covers.

Modifing Aluminum piston to fit older style con rod

The pistons and connecting rods were different in the two engines. The engine from the locomotive was 10 years older and had cast iron pistons. The donated engine had aluminum pistons. I was not able to get all the old pistons out and decided to go with the aluminum pistons. Trouble was there were only 5 connecting rods for the newer pistons. I had to modify an aluminum piston to work with one old style connecting rod. Bronze bushings were made and pressed into the piston so the piston pin could pivot in the piston.